Richard Kumadoe is a security consultant
Security Consultant Richard Kumadoe has described as ‘unfortunate’ the timing of government’s directive asking bereaved families of the El-Wak Stadium tragedy to submit names of qualified relatives for automatic recruitment into the Ghana Armed Forces (GAF).
According to a report by adomonline.com on November 15, 2025, Kumadoe stated that although the gesture might be well-intentioned, it risks compounding the grief of families who have not yet buried their loved ones.
“That one is also a little unfortunate. The mothers who send their children who lost their lives did not send them because they want replacement for them, particularly when we have not buried them. So, in as much as it’s an opportunity, and people may say it looks sweet, the timing is a little bit of an issue,” he noted.
Rev Philip Kale, father of one of the six ladies who died in the El-Wak stampede speaks
He argued that presenting the offer at such a sensitive moment could lead to misunderstanding or outright rejection by the affected families.
Kumadoe also raised concerns about compensation for the injured, noting that the type and severity of injuries sustained should inform whether civilian employment or other forms of support might be more appropriate.
His comments follow government’s announcement that families of the six young applicants who died in Wednesday’s stampede at the El-Wak Stadium are to submit names of qualified relatives for recruitment into the Armed Forces.
The tragedy occurred during a mass recruitment documentation and body selection exercise, where a sudden surge of applicants led to a stampede that killed six people and injured several others.
Military officers told me point blank they couldn’t help my dying sister – Brother alleges
During a visit to one of the bereaved families at Eyan Maim in the Central Region, Deputy Defence Minister Ernest Brogya Genfi disclosed that President John Dramani Mahama had directed that each affected family be allocated an automatic slot in the GAF as a form of support.
MRA/EB
President Mahama visits 37 Military Hospital to console El-Wak stampede victims